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civil service
noun
: the administrative service of a government or international agency exclusive of the armed forces
especially
: one in which appointments are determined by competitive examination
Examples of civil service in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other actions mentioned in the email could run afoul of civil service laws, which are intended to safeguard most federal employees from political pressure and interference, as well as union contracts.
—Chris Cameron, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2025
To shrink the budget, civil service, and regulatory scope of government on this scale is an enormous task, and DOGE has recruited leaders from Silicon Valley to develop the plan.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
Four specific moves — illegally attempting to end birthright citizenship, reviving the Schedule F order that could initiate a civil service purge, pardoning January 6 rioters, and ordering multiple investigations into the Biden administration — deserve particular attention.
—Vox Staff, Vox, 23 Jan. 2025
Citing unnamed sources within the Chinese civil service, Bloomberg said some of the pay rises were carried out as lump sum payments and without notice.
—Hugh Cameron, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1770, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near civil service
Cite this Entry
“Civil service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20service. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
civil service
noun
: the branch of a government that takes care of the business of running a state but that does not include the lawmaking branch, the military, or the court system
More from Merriam-Webster on civil service
Nglish: Translation of civil service for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of civil service for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil service
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